


Every Little Thing You Do Is Magic

by MagicGirlinAMuggleWorld



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, James to the Rescue, Lily's sick and misses her mum, Soft James Potter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:27:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24063562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicGirlinAMuggleWorld/pseuds/MagicGirlinAMuggleWorld
Summary: Canon-verse Jily fluff! James nursing Lily back to health when she's sick.
Relationships: James Potter & Lily Evans Potter
Comments: 23
Kudos: 81





	Every Little Thing You Do Is Magic

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PetalsToFish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PetalsToFish/gifts).



> For Petals! Love youuuuu xo

In the wee hours of Thursday morning, James and Sirius crept down the stairs into the Gryffindor Common Room, bickering quietly. James had the Marauders’ Map in one hand and his invisibility cloak folded over one arm, and Sirius was carrying a giant bucket filled with stink sap.

“We’ve got to put it over the entrance from the main hall to their common room, we only want it to get the students—”

“But Snivellus uses the corridor by the Potions classroom more often—”

“Right, but he’s not even on the Quidditch team, and _they’re_ the ones we need to get back—”

They were so engrossed in their debate that they made it almost to the portrait hole before James heard a soft moan coming from the area in front of the fireplace. The boys whipped around, startled, and saw Lily Evans, wrapped in blankets on the sofa.

Instinctively, James took a step towards her. Sirius grabbed his wrist and gestured towards the portrait hole, but James held up a finger, pleading with his eyes for a moment to check on her. Sirius dropped James’ wrist and sighed.

“You know it’ll be more than a minute,” he muttered. “We’re not going anywhere. And what am I supposed to do with this bucket of stink sap?”

“We’ll hang it over the door of the Quidditch shed tomorrow,” James whispered back. “Slytherin has first practice.”

Sirius pulled a face but gave James a conciliatory nod. James walked over to where Lily was resting on the sofa, only the top of her head and her rosy cheeks peeking out of a bundle of blankets.

“Alright, Evans?” he asked softly.

Lily whimpered again. “Potter?”

“Yeah, it’s me. And Sirius, too,” James said, taking another step towards her. “Are you all right?”

“No. But I’ll be fine,” she mumbled. She closed her eyes, her face screwed up in either pain or distress. “Just ignore me and go about your curfew-breaking.”

Sirius sighed loudly. “You look like death, Evans. Obviously we can’t just leave you like this.”

“You wanted to a minute ago,” James muttered.

“It’s fine. I’ll be fine,” Lily repeated hoarsely. “There’s nothing you can do for me, anyway.”

Sirius sighed again. “So dramatic.” He turned to James. “Look, I’ll go to the kitchens. You should stay here with her and make sure she doesn’t perish. What do you need?”

“Thanks, mate. The usual for me. And some broth for Evans, I suppose.” James nodded his thanks, and Sirius turned to leave. “Oh, and shepherd’s pie, if you see one. She wasn’t at dinner.”

“Got it,” Sirius said, and disappeared out of the portrait hole.

“M’not hungry,” Lily murmured. “I’m fine.”

James perched on the arm of the sofa. “You keep saying that, but you really don’t sound fine, Evans,” he said, his brow furrowed with concern. “Why are you down here, anyway? You ought to be in your bed, it’s quarter ‘til two.”

“Can’t sleep.” Her voice was raspy. She coughed a dry, hacking cough and rubbed her chest wearily. “And my coughing was keeping the girls up, so I decided I’d stay in the Common Room.”

“You could try a Silencing charm for your cough, you know, if you wanted to stay in your room. I could help you.”

Lily shook her head. “Makes me claustrophobic, or something. I feel like I’m suffocating if I try to cough and no sound comes out.”

James grimaced. “If it’s that bad, maybe we should get you to the hospital wing.”

“Uh-uh.” Lily whimpered and wriggled deeper under the blankets. “Don’t make me move anymore, please. If I’m not better in the morning, I’ll go see Madam Pomfrey.”

“Alright,” James said reluctantly. Without thinking, he leaned over and smoothed her hair back from her face. “Merlin, you’re warm. D’you want something to drink? Maybe some tea?”

“Tea sounds lovely.” She closed her eyes again, and her eyebrows were drawn together like she was in pain. “I think I have a fever.”

“Yes, I’d say so,” James agreed. “You’re sure you don’t want to go see Madam Pomfrey now? If it’s a Muggle malady she’ll clear you right up.”

“Tomorrow,” Lily mumbled.

“Alright.” James stood up from the arm of the sofa. “I’m just going to take this bucket upstairs and grab some tea from the dorm. I’ll be right back.”

“Thank you,” Lily murmured. “Sorry I ruined your prank.”

“You’re more important than any prank, Evans.” He put his hands on his hips and gave her a stern look. “Now, don’t go anywhere, alright?”

Lily gave a wheezy laugh that turned into a cough, and James dashed up the stairs to retrieve the tea from his bedroom. He returned a moment later with two mugs and a couple of tea bags.

“I’ve got regular tea, if you’d like, but I also have these lemon and ginger tea bags my mum gave me. She always makes me drink it when I’m ill.”

“Does it help?” Lily croaked.

“Well, at home she makes it fresh for me, with ginger root and lemon and honey. But yeah, it clears up a chest cold in a hurry.” He paused and shrugged. “Though I don’t know if it’s the tea, or the fact that it’s my mum that made it for me that makes me feel better, you know?”

Lily nodded almost imperceptibly. “My mum used to spoon-feed me chicken broth when I had a fever. It always helped.” She half-laughed, half-coughed and added, “I almost believed in magic before I found out it was real, because Mum was the only one who could make me feel better when I was ill. Not Dad, not Tuney. Just some broth and my mum’s magic hands.”

“Didn’t you know, Evans?” James said, smiling gently. “Mums _are_ magical. Even Muggle mums.”

“Yeah,” she agreed quietly, “they are.”

Not having your mother there to hold you when you’re sick is, quite honestly, one of the loneliest feelings in the world, James thought. He imagined Lily agreed, because for a moment, she looked like a kid again. James never thought of her as fragile or small, even though she was (small, not fragile—Lily was tough as nails). But tonight, buried under the covers with her flushed skin, big green eyes, and plaited hair, she looked like she needed to be taken care of.

No, not _needed_ it. _Wanted it_. Wanted someone to sit with her and fuss over her. To not be alone while she felt like absolute shit. For someone to just hold her hand and tell her she’d be alright.

James could do that for her. In fact, he wanted it just as much—if not more—than she did. She’d been a bit prickly when he’d first approached her, but a little grumpiness is standard when a person is feeling as terrible as she obviously was. If he could do anything to make her feel better, anything at all, he would.

He knelt in front of the hearth and pulled his wand out, flicking his wrist to start a fire. He put the kettle over it, then walked over to stand next to her.

“I’m going to make you some ginger tea,” he said, “and Sirius is going to bring you some broth. I may not be a mum, but between the two, we’ll set you right, yeah?”

Lily nodded at him, her eyes wide and glassy. Once again, he couldn’t stop himself from running a hand over her forehead. “You just sit tight.”

As he turned to check the kettle, the portrait hole swung open. James could hear the Fat Lady grumbling about students _cavorting_ at all hours of the night, followed by a muffled curse as Sirius stumbled through the hole and into the room.

“I wasn’t cavorting, I _wish_ I were doing something as interesting as cavorting, but no. I’m actually being selfless for once, can you believe it?” Sirius grumbled. “Well, not entirely selfless,” he added, walking over to Lily and James with his arms full. “I can’t have you dying on me, Evans, who will laugh at my jokes about Prongs’ hair if you’re gone?”

Lily croaked out another laugh. “Remus?”

Sirius shook his head. “It’s not the same. Anyway, here.” He thrust a package towards James. “I’ve brought provisions.”

“Thanks, mate.”

“Of course. Now, unless you need me, I’m going to take my snacks upstairs and plot on better ways to get the Slytherins back than stink sap, now that we’ve got more time.”

“Shouldn’t antagonize them,” Lily mumbled.

“Shh, love, you’re delirious. Don’t try to talk,” Sirius said, winking. “Just rest your voice.”

Lily pulled an arm out from under the blankets so she could raise her middle finger to him, and he laughed.

“I do hope you feel better tomorrow, Evans. G’night, love.”

“Night, Sirius,” she whispered.

James watched him go, then looked down at the bundle in his arms. Sirius had brought what appeared to be a jar full of broth, half a shepherd’s pie, a chicken leg, marshmallows, and sticky toffee pudding. He chuckled softly. “Sirius really outdid himself,” he said, spreading the food on the floor around him.

In addition to all the goodies, Sirius had provided a bowl and two plates, as well. Lily watched as James put the chicken leg on one plate and shepherd’s pie on the other, then poured some of the broth into a bowl.

He rose up on his knees and held the bowl out to her. “Hmm.” His eyebrows dipped as he considered the situation. “I think you’re going to have to sit up to eat this, Evans.”

She shook her head weakly. “Told you I’m not hungry.”

“When did you last eat?”

Lily coughed and burrowed further into her blankets. “Dunno.”

“Come on, Evans,” James coaxed softly. “Chicken broth is magic, remember? You’ve got to eat a bit.”

She looked up at him and bit her bottom lip, her eyes sort of glassy again. When she spoke, her whisper sounded pained. “The broth’s not magic. It’s my mum that’s magic.”

James felt like he’d been punched in the heart.

“Aw, Evans.” He set the bowl on the floor then stood and leaned over her on the sofa. She looked confused, but before she could protest, he wrapped her in his arms and lifted her to a seated position. “There,” he said softly. “I know I’m not your mum, but I’m going to take care of you, and you’re going to let me, alright?”

Lily blinked at him for a few seconds. Then she nodded slowly. “Good,” said James. He adjusted her position so she was leaning against the arm of the couch with her legs over his lap, then he bent to retrieve the bowl from the floor. He spooned out some broth and held it to her mouth. “Now, eat.”

Her eyebrows rose, but he thought he saw a half-smile on her lips. “You don’t have to feed me, Potter,” she rasped.

“Apparently I do, since you keep insisting you’re not hungry,” James said sternly. “Now open up.”

Lily complied, and James gently pushed the spoon into her mouth. Her lips closed around it and she slurped the broth. “Mmm.” She sighed with pleasure. “‘S’warm.”

“Good,” said James, just relieved she was eating something. “Let’s have some more.”

Slowly, for the next ten minutes, he fed her soup while she sat nearly in his lap. When she’d finished most of the bowl, she leaned back with another sigh. “That’s enough,” she murmured.

“Alright,” James agreed. “We’ll try more in the morning. Do you still want your tea?”

“No, thank you.” Lily closed her eyes and nestled into the sofa. “Just wanna sleep.”

“Alright,” James said. He moved to stand up, but she pressed her legs down weakly against his lap, probably with as much force as she could muster, and shook her head. He cocked his head to look at her and noticed her eyes were open again, her expression concerned.

“Stay here, please?” she whispered. “In case I can’t fall asleep?”

James relaxed back into the sofa and looked at her tenderly. “Alright,” he repeated. With a feather-light touch, he ran his hands over her knees and down her shins. “I’ll stay, if it’ll help you feel better.”

“Thank you,” she murmured. She snuggled into the couch, but reached one arm out of the blanket to grab his hand. “It does. You do.”

**Author's Note:**

> SQUEEEEEE!


End file.
